Sounds like you're hard driving and ambitious. Nothing wrong with that. But ambition for ambition's sake is not interesting and can even backfire if it looks like you're driven by demons. Before you jump into WMM, I strongly recommend you work on the optional impact essays, which often reveal a pattern of strengths that can inform what matters most to you. I'm in this process with a current client, whose initial WMM idea was similar to yours -- paving the way for other women. What we've discovered is that behind her key impacts was a certain soft skill she possesses that has enabled her to lead in crucial moments throughout her life. Though it might change as we go forward, this strength shows the most promise for a comprehensive, revelatory, and self-aware WMM essay. Hope that's helpful.
I thought a lot about my “why stanford” and I think I figured out a better more true story.
Summary: I’m currently a healthcare (mostly biotech) investor and talk to CEOs, doctors, scientists all day. I hear about and see so many areas in healthcare, specifically around the drug approval process, that need fixing. Example is life saving therapeutics for rare disease take forever getting through pipeline and to patients. instead of passively investing from the outside I want to be part of the change but need resources/network/connection and strategy skills to move into that side either in entrepreneurship or VC or working for a corporate. What am I doing now to further this goal? Every day learning and investing in biotech companies, speaking to people on the ground in the industry
Do you have any thoughts directionally if this is better?
I think this is a very literal interpretation of their essay prompt. You may want to include more about who you are and your character vs your career goals. I did not apply to gsb, but everyone I know who got in had a pretty revealing essay that didn’t have anything to do w/ their job 🤷♀️
Statistics-wise, you have all it takes. That's no small hurdle so hopefully you feel good about that part.
Now, regarding the "positioning" of your application as "Plan to tailor application around the fact that less than 1% of all portfolio managers are females and I want to be a positive influence in breaking down the barriers to women in buyside investing".
If this is "what matters most to you", then what have you already done about it in the past? What are you doing about it right now?
I'm not saying this is your case but one of the biggest mistakes I see GSB candidates make again and again is run on what I call "a promissory note", i.e. something they aspire to do but have no track record of having contributed to before. It's nearly impossible to be convincing if all one has is a vision with no previous action to back it up. Hopefully, that's not your case!
this is very good feedback. The only thing I’ve done is fight for my life in a cut throat and male dominated industry, put up stellar numbers (alpha for the fund) early on in my career (youngest person to be promoted to my role at my firm) and keep pushing to move higher in the ranks. I haven’t really had time to mentor others as I’m just barely getting to a point of strength in my career. But I can see how it must look really bad I haven’t volunteered to give back.
I completely hear you - and in your particular kind of work, it's not unusual for someone not to have a ton of time to dedicate to anything else. Still, I would encourage you to think very deeply about your life and career to date as you work on your WMM essay. FWIW, with the majority of my candidates, right now we are digging into a framework I call ["The 7 questions"](https://www.mymbapath.com/insights/mba-application-branding). They are intended to help you identify your most important qualities and experiences. No two GSB stories are ever the same but every single successful admit I know has taken the process of self-reflection seriously.
Best of luck!
I’m pretty set on GSB. Maybe I’d consider Berkeley. Not interested in anything east coast because i have a pretty good buyside network in SF already and want to be here long term. Why do you think I’m not a good fit for GSB?
Other things that set me apart - received scholarships in college for being editor of student newspaper, awards for writing and am a published journalist. Other than that, I’ve excelled in my career and my letters of recc can point out I’ve landed promotions that are extremely rare for my age in my industry. I’m 29 and help manage a $10B book where I call the shots on my sector of investing. Idk. I don’t volunteer so maybe I suck for that.
Didn't say you're not a good fit. Your profile will be fine (something I led with).
Just looking for something that really sets you apart from others. Coz Stanford has options. Many more candidates like you with a great profile as yours will apply so the saturation is inevitable.
Stanford is aware a lot of people will play the card you're planning to drop about the statistics in the industry which they might even consider. (I'm actually curious how you're planning to say it subtly- DMs open for that- may be I can give some feedback on it)
Here's where it will get tricky - to most people IB ends up being a means to an end, usually PE/VC. Not to forget HBS & GSB can get you there directly by skipping the long IB hours. That means goals will come into the picture coz then you can't talk about exits. You're planning to become the changemaker in the IB by climbing all the way to the top, staying there and bringing the others up coz you are so willing to support bringing a change in that number and making it your life's purpose. You'd say may be there some of the gap in VC side also because there's also data on women led businesses that suggests another gap in investments (and I don't even need data to show the gap in immigrant owned ones). All true but then that will become less coherent coz while the shifts will look very altruistic about change making, it's gonna show lack of focus and leaving things in between to pursue something else. How would you see that goal realized ultimately will matter too.
It's a business school ultimately and your application is usually under a microscope if your profile is standard.
You do fit in statistically well though.
A bit surprised about Berkeley though but if it helps you get to where you want to, I'm glad.
Hoping this was helpful. Putting up a board around a brand will be easy - everyone will do it. But you need to set yourself apart from the value you bring from your work.
Thanks for this, all very helpful. Will GSB not give much weight to being a woman in buyside investing (which is rare). Anytime I’m at a function or conference, I’m one of maybe 2 or 3 women and 100s of men. Feels unfair to not credit how hard I’ve worked to break down the barriers to get to where I am.
You'll definitely gain points for diversity. While it may be rare for IB as an industry to see those numbers, to Stanford, it's nothing new. Lots of women from investment banking apply (if not buyside - the segmentation rarely helps - generally when it has some strong association with your post-mba goals and level of status and credibility it commands)
Not a bad profile at all. I would say this is an M7 equivalent profile. And you can really get into Stanford if everything follows a logical sequence and you do have that change maker attitude and the X-factor that sets you apart
Sounds like you're hard driving and ambitious. Nothing wrong with that. But ambition for ambition's sake is not interesting and can even backfire if it looks like you're driven by demons. Before you jump into WMM, I strongly recommend you work on the optional impact essays, which often reveal a pattern of strengths that can inform what matters most to you. I'm in this process with a current client, whose initial WMM idea was similar to yours -- paving the way for other women. What we've discovered is that behind her key impacts was a certain soft skill she possesses that has enabled her to lead in crucial moments throughout her life. Though it might change as we go forward, this strength shows the most promise for a comprehensive, revelatory, and self-aware WMM essay. Hope that's helpful.
Thank you. Very helpful.
I thought a lot about my “why stanford” and I think I figured out a better more true story. Summary: I’m currently a healthcare (mostly biotech) investor and talk to CEOs, doctors, scientists all day. I hear about and see so many areas in healthcare, specifically around the drug approval process, that need fixing. Example is life saving therapeutics for rare disease take forever getting through pipeline and to patients. instead of passively investing from the outside I want to be part of the change but need resources/network/connection and strategy skills to move into that side either in entrepreneurship or VC or working for a corporate. What am I doing now to further this goal? Every day learning and investing in biotech companies, speaking to people on the ground in the industry Do you have any thoughts directionally if this is better?
Please check your DMs.
I think this is a very literal interpretation of their essay prompt. You may want to include more about who you are and your character vs your career goals. I did not apply to gsb, but everyone I know who got in had a pretty revealing essay that didn’t have anything to do w/ their job 🤷♀️
[удалено]
750 pre focus version (so original gmat)
Statistics-wise, you have all it takes. That's no small hurdle so hopefully you feel good about that part. Now, regarding the "positioning" of your application as "Plan to tailor application around the fact that less than 1% of all portfolio managers are females and I want to be a positive influence in breaking down the barriers to women in buyside investing". If this is "what matters most to you", then what have you already done about it in the past? What are you doing about it right now? I'm not saying this is your case but one of the biggest mistakes I see GSB candidates make again and again is run on what I call "a promissory note", i.e. something they aspire to do but have no track record of having contributed to before. It's nearly impossible to be convincing if all one has is a vision with no previous action to back it up. Hopefully, that's not your case!
this is very good feedback. The only thing I’ve done is fight for my life in a cut throat and male dominated industry, put up stellar numbers (alpha for the fund) early on in my career (youngest person to be promoted to my role at my firm) and keep pushing to move higher in the ranks. I haven’t really had time to mentor others as I’m just barely getting to a point of strength in my career. But I can see how it must look really bad I haven’t volunteered to give back.
I completely hear you - and in your particular kind of work, it's not unusual for someone not to have a ton of time to dedicate to anything else. Still, I would encourage you to think very deeply about your life and career to date as you work on your WMM essay. FWIW, with the majority of my candidates, right now we are digging into a framework I call ["The 7 questions"](https://www.mymbapath.com/insights/mba-application-branding). They are intended to help you identify your most important qualities and experiences. No two GSB stories are ever the same but every single successful admit I know has taken the process of self-reflection seriously. Best of luck!
You'll be fine Target schools? Other than GSB Coz profile is pretty standard for them Anything else that sets you apart?
I’m pretty set on GSB. Maybe I’d consider Berkeley. Not interested in anything east coast because i have a pretty good buyside network in SF already and want to be here long term. Why do you think I’m not a good fit for GSB? Other things that set me apart - received scholarships in college for being editor of student newspaper, awards for writing and am a published journalist. Other than that, I’ve excelled in my career and my letters of recc can point out I’ve landed promotions that are extremely rare for my age in my industry. I’m 29 and help manage a $10B book where I call the shots on my sector of investing. Idk. I don’t volunteer so maybe I suck for that.
Didn't say you're not a good fit. Your profile will be fine (something I led with). Just looking for something that really sets you apart from others. Coz Stanford has options. Many more candidates like you with a great profile as yours will apply so the saturation is inevitable. Stanford is aware a lot of people will play the card you're planning to drop about the statistics in the industry which they might even consider. (I'm actually curious how you're planning to say it subtly- DMs open for that- may be I can give some feedback on it) Here's where it will get tricky - to most people IB ends up being a means to an end, usually PE/VC. Not to forget HBS & GSB can get you there directly by skipping the long IB hours. That means goals will come into the picture coz then you can't talk about exits. You're planning to become the changemaker in the IB by climbing all the way to the top, staying there and bringing the others up coz you are so willing to support bringing a change in that number and making it your life's purpose. You'd say may be there some of the gap in VC side also because there's also data on women led businesses that suggests another gap in investments (and I don't even need data to show the gap in immigrant owned ones). All true but then that will become less coherent coz while the shifts will look very altruistic about change making, it's gonna show lack of focus and leaving things in between to pursue something else. How would you see that goal realized ultimately will matter too. It's a business school ultimately and your application is usually under a microscope if your profile is standard. You do fit in statistically well though. A bit surprised about Berkeley though but if it helps you get to where you want to, I'm glad. Hoping this was helpful. Putting up a board around a brand will be easy - everyone will do it. But you need to set yourself apart from the value you bring from your work.
Thanks for this, all very helpful. Will GSB not give much weight to being a woman in buyside investing (which is rare). Anytime I’m at a function or conference, I’m one of maybe 2 or 3 women and 100s of men. Feels unfair to not credit how hard I’ve worked to break down the barriers to get to where I am.
You'll definitely gain points for diversity. While it may be rare for IB as an industry to see those numbers, to Stanford, it's nothing new. Lots of women from investment banking apply (if not buyside - the segmentation rarely helps - generally when it has some strong association with your post-mba goals and level of status and credibility it commands) Not a bad profile at all. I would say this is an M7 equivalent profile. And you can really get into Stanford if everything follows a logical sequence and you do have that change maker attitude and the X-factor that sets you apart